After experiencing the horrors of war and returning to civilian life, he claimed to have had an inner experience with which began his spiritual journey. He decided to devote his life to God, and at the age of 26, entered the Discalced Carmelite Priory in Paris, where he took his religious name, Lawrence of the Resurrection. Brother Lawrence gradually became known for his profound spiritual wisdom, peaceful demeanor, and close connection with God. Some of the conversations and letters by Brother Lawrence became the basis of a book, “The Practice of the Presence of God,” which was compiled by the notable cleric Abbe Joseph de Beaufort after his passing.

In which the renowned philosopher encourages us to follow our own true self by sticking to our own inner voice and by being honest and sincere in our relationships with others. We create self-reliance — the essence of both faith and optimism. What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think. This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness. It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.

My readers will expect me to describe in a general way the characteristic theories and practices for which the ‘Path’ is a convenient designation. These may be treated under the following heads: Poverty, Mortification, Trust in God, and Recollection. Whereas poverty is negative in nature, involving detachment from all that is worldly and unreal, the three remaining terms denote the positive counterpart of that process, namely, the ethical discipline by which the soul is brought into harmonious relations with Reality. The Sufi ideal of poverty goes far beyond this. True poverty is not merely lack of wealth, but lack of desire for wealth: the empty heart as well as the empty hand.

Jesus tells Nicodemus, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the spirit is spirit.” This allusion, so unintelligible in itself, is explained in the Satapatha Brâhmana. It teaches that a man striving after spiritual perfection must have three births: First: Physical from his mortal parents; Second: Spiritual, through religious sacrifice (initiation); Third: His final birth into the world of spirit－at death. “Some people are born again; evil doers go to hell; righteous people go to Heaven; those who are free from all worldly desires enter Nirvana (Eternal Bliss).”

In these excerpts, Madame Blavatsky discussed humankind’s yearning for immortality, the concept of regeneration as explained by an Indian scripture, and the prohibition of meat-eating in different religions. Our Ego, that which lives and thinks and feels independently of us in our mortal casket, does more than believe. It knows that there exists a God in nature, for the sole and invincible Artificer of all lives in us as we live in Him. Without a God, the cosmos would seem to it but like a soulless corpse. Mankind have one innate, irrepressible craving, that must be satisfied in any religion…. This is the yearning after the proofs of immortality.

As our interview continues, Rabbi David Rosen speaks about how he approaches the Jewish community to encourage its members to rethink their diet. And then if they can understand, especially with regards to the animals specifically, but also with regards to environmental issues and the consequences of this, it’s possible to influence people to see this as wrong. And everybody can do something. And one doesn’t have to depend upon politicians to be able to make decisions. Everyone can contribute to making their environment a better place, above all, through serving others, especially the vulnerable and the needy; orphans, widows, homeless, people who need attention.

In September 2018, more than 70 rabbis, including Rabbi David Rosen, signed a vegan declaration urging Jewish adherents to choose a plant-based diet. As issued by Britain's Jewish Vegetarian Society and America's Jewish Veg. The issue of climate change becomes the most pressing, critical issue today. And I can’t understand how you can call yourself a religious, or a spiritual, or a caring person, if you are not preoccupied with what challenge today and not trying to do something about it.

The Honorable Rabbi David Rosen is one of the most esteemed and dedicated contributors to the advancement of interfaith understanding and peace. For his efforts promoting peaceful interreligious relations, Rabbi Rosen was knighted by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI and made a Commander of the British Empire by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Rabbi Rosen is a compassionate vegan himself, urging people worldwide to embrace the life-changing diet for our planet’s future as well as our spiritual wellness.

The Sufi who sets out to seek God calls himself a ‘traveler’ (salik); he advances by slow ‘stages’ (maqamat) along a ‘path’ (tariqat) to the goal of union with Reality (fana fi ’I-Haqq). The first place in every list of ‘stages’ is occupied by repentance (tawbat). This is the Muslim term for ‘conversion,’ and marks the beginning of a new life. Any Muhammadan director of souls would tell his pupils that to think humbly and remorsefully of one’s sins is a sovereign remedy against spiritual pride, but he himself might very well believe that real repentance consists in forgetting everything except God.

The Venerated One was able to abstain from indulgence of the flesh，Sometimes in the cold season the Venerated One was meditating in the shade. In summer He exposes himself to the heat, He sits squatting in the sun. though never attacked by diseases. Having wisdom, Mahavira committed no sin Himself, nor did He induce others to do so, nor did He consent to the sins of others. He should give up all motions except his own in the thrice-threefold way. He should not lie on sprouts of grass, but inspecting the bare ground he should lie on it. He lives, forsooth, in accordance with wisdom and restraint, and walks free from desire, and with conquered sensuality. He for whom there is no bondage whatever in this world.

Thoroughly knowing karma, the Venerated One avoids sin. The Sage, perceiving the double karma, proclaims the incomparable activity, He, the knowing one; knowing the current of worldliness, the current of sinfulness, and the impulse. Practicing the sinless abstinence from killing, He did no acts, neither Himself nor with the assistance of others; He to whom women were known as the causes of all sinful acts, He saw the true state of the world. He did not use what had expressly been prepared for Him; He well saw that bondage comes through action. Whatever is sinful, the Venerated One left that undone: He consumed clean food.

The Dawn is the inner dawn which brings to man all the varied fullnesses of his widest being, force, consciousness, joy; it is radiant with its illuminations, it is accompanied by all possible powers and energies, it gives man the full force of vitality so that he can enjoy the infinite delight of that vaster existence. The luminous figure of the Dawn liberates us from the material, ritual, ignorant misunderstanding of the Veda which would lead us stumbling from pitfall to pitfall in a very night of chaos and obscurity; it opens to us the closed door and admits to the heart of the Vedic knowledge.

This higher consciousness is what Sri Aurobindo strived to establish in his life, and then strived to help others around him to realize as well. “The Secret of the Veda” is well received by many as one of the greatest spiritual books. It is a collection of Sri Aurobindo’s various writings on the Rig Veda, its mystic symbolism, with translations of selected hymns. Sri Aurobindo offered an in-depth interpretation of the ancient Vedas made possible through his spiritual practices where he discovered the vivid allegorical descriptions in the Vedas. The hidden meaning of the Veda and its relevance to the Truth seekers seeking for self-realization and enlightenment is ultimately being revealed.

When the Buddha was alive, He had many disciples, and even His disciples could work miracles. And Jesus promised His disciples that whatever He did, they could do the same. Therefore, we owe it to mankind to practice the way Christ did, the way Buddha did. And because I owe it to mankind to attain what I have attained today, I have to share it with you. I am happy to share it with you. Whoever likes to share it, I’m happy to devote my time, my attention, my energy, even my health, my finances to you, without any request in return, except that you work for it for the benefit of yourself and for the world that we live in.

We could make it into a golden age again, by living the way of a Christian, living the way of a Buddhist, the way of a true Hindu, etc. Take care of our moral responsibilities, help our neighbors as much as we can, sacrifice some of our wealth, our palate’s desires, in order to help in developing the world and help other needy brothers and sisters. In this way, we contribute our effort to build a better nation for the future generation to come. It is not a loss. It will be to the benefit of our children and grandchildren, and nephews and our brothers’ and sisters’ children.

If everyone lives according to what the Bible states, and everyone sees God within, sees the (inner Heavenly) Light of God, the Kingdom of God, hears the (inner Heavenly) Sound, the Word of God or the Buddha Nature, then the world, our world, becomes paradise. Because this (inner Heavenly) Light, this (inner Heavenly) Sound, makes us become Saints, makes us become Buddhas. And the worlds where Buddhas live are Nirvana (the highest paradise); the worlds where the Saints live are Heavens, Kingdom of God.

We should generate always goodness, in thoughts, in deeds, and in speech in order to derive the goodness that we have sown. And the more we step into goodness, the nearer to goodness, the more we are merged into this Heavenly quality, the more we are near to Heaven. I think we can take the opportunity of our civilized communication system to broadcast what we know, to each other, in order to profit each other, in order to elevate our Earth’s mental consciousness into a higher level of understanding, in order to make our Earth into a Heaven. We have no need to immigrate into another planet or to Nirvana (the highest paradise) if we make our world become a paradise.

The Sufis recognize substance or matter as an actuality. It is the outer or physical, material world. It is an attribute of the great unity. It is not as some schools of mysticism and of philosophy affirm, an illusion—a product merely of man’s receptor senses. It is and includes actual substances. Things are as they seem to be. All matter is a negative aspect of this one great unity. The positive aspect or attribute is invisible. It is a higher world, a world which man experiences within himself, the world of soul or spiritual inclination. We, mankind, so the Sufis claim, are an objectification of God, the material form of God, His consciousness clothed in substance.

The Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis, also known as the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, is a worldwide cultural, educational, and philosophical organization that is perpetuating the profound and practical teachings of the Rosicrucians. All being, all reality, no matter what its nature or kind, its form or experience, comprises one unity. God is unknowable in His pure, absolute essence. No human consciousness can embrace God. His manifestations, however, can be known and thus to a degree men can also comprehend God.

I bow down at the feet of Marpa Lho Draug. Oh, Father Guru! Pray grant me Your grace-wave and accomplishment. You, eight beauties of the Deva-realm, Have offered me white rice, the wondrous fruit of Dhyana (a state of deep meditation). Eating it my body is strengthened, and my mind enlivened. As a token of my gratitude, I sing this song of Dharma (True Teaching) to you. Now, lift up your ears, and listen to me carefully. Even though one reaches the highest Heaven of the white Devas, It has no permanent value and meaning! Lovable and touching are those flowers of youth in Heaven. But however pleasant it may seem to be, In the end comes separation. Although the bliss in Heaven seems to be very great, It is merely a deceitful mirage, a bewildering hallucination; In fact, it is the very cause of the return to suffering! Thinking of the miseries of the Six Realms in Samsara (migration and transmigration), I cannot help but have a feeling of disgust and aversion – A feeling of anguish and distressed emotion! Should you intend to practice the teaching of Buddha, You must take refuge in the Three Precious Ones and pray to them. Sentient beings in the Six Realms You should consider as your parents. Give to the poor, and offer to the Guru! For the benefit of all, dedicate your merits.